A place for ex-pupils and maybe any surviving ex-staff to exchange memories of the school.

Tuesday, 11 September 2007

1066 And All That

This was the school play in 1964. I was too shy to act, and I suppose the main parts went to older boys anyway, so I just came on as a Roman soldier in the chorus.

I'm sick to death of fighting and slaughter
I'm sick of kissing the swineherd's daughter
I'm sick of marching along these roads
I'm sick of humping these heavy loads
I'm sick of Gaul and I'm sick of Greece
I want to go home and live in peace
Rome, Rome, sweet Rome
There's no place like Rome

I'll have you know this is pure memory from 43 years ago. I tried to check it on the Web but couldn't find it.

4 comments:

Spring term, 1964. My first experience (non combattant) of amateur dramatics. Something lse that left a mark on me to this day.Ralph Andrews, 3 years my senior, probably, as compère, "in the cart":"He's in the cart, He's in the cart, he's always been there from the start, all his best efforts are in vain, now he's going home again to home sweet home"David Ireland, (he of the 6 buns, see Eat drink etc) as Henry VIII, Parfitt as one of the three of Raleigh, Essex and A N Other.David carried himself and his wives credibly and creditably given that he wasn't much of a singer - remember he was large.One of the girls, (Girls?! what a nerve!)Sue, Paddy or Jane did the designs for the backdrops, which were coloured in by voluteers in the Break at 11:00. (You were excused Pecker's exercise session, I think).This activity ran for, 1066, Salad Days and the King and I. "Never no more, no more,There won't be no encore,When the old Dolphin's been shoved down the drain,Then I'll go back to the Missus again.When this old war's fini,God knows when that will be, this is the last blinking battle for me,When this old war's fini."Good old Ralph.What an impression a 13-year-old can make on a 9-year-old!!

This play was done again in easter 1976. I remember playing a Roman soldier too (in fact I think the whole school HAD to have at least one part in the play) and all of us who were soldiers were given copies of the song to learn. This was done en masse in the library (New Wing) with prefects given the task of testing us. As I was doing speech training at the time, I was used to memorising poetry and I may have been the first to 'pass'.On the subject of plays, just as the school was about to close, Joseph and his Amazing Techniclour Dreamcoat was performed in the partially completed new building. I recall hearing the amplified rehersals whilst Mr Flood was doing his best to teach Chemistry etc.Alan Davis